Manchester United turned a desperate European evening into a dramatic victory as Matheus Cunha’s goals in the 83rd and 86th minutes secured a 3-2 comeback win over AS Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Trailing 2-0 at half-time after Matías Soulè’s 11th-minute opener and Donyell Malen’s 17th-minute penalty, United recovered through Bruno Fernandes’ spot-kick in the 58th minute before Cunha delivered the decisive late double. His subsequent dismissal in the first minute of stoppage time added one final complication, but the hosts held on for three Champions League league-phase points.
Roma seize the early advantage
Roma needed just 11 minutes to take the lead through Soulè, and United’s predicament deepened six minutes later when Malen converted from the penalty spot. With less than 20 minutes played, the visitors had established a commanding cushion.
The opening half also brought bookings for both sides, with Soulè and Fernandes cautioned in the 20th minute and Malen receiving a yellow card in the 42nd. At the interval, however, the defining detail was Roma’s two-goal advantage: United needed a substantial response.
Fernandes opens the door, Cunha completes the turnaround
That response began to take shape in the 58th minute, when Fernandes converted a penalty to reduce the deficit to 2-1. It gave United a route back into the fixture, although Roma retained their slender lead deep into the second half.
Then Cunha transformed the contest. His 83rd-minute equaliser brought United level and put a draw within reach. Just three minutes later, he struck again to give the hosts the lead for the first time.
From two goals behind at the break, United had surged 3-2 ahead with the closing minutes approaching. Roma, so well placed early on, were suddenly left chasing an equaliser of their own.
A tense finish after Cunha sees red
Cunha’s evening took another turn when, following a booking in the 87th minute, he was shown a red card at 90+1. United had to protect their advantage with 10 men, but reached full-time without conceding again.
The hosts finished with 52.4% possession and 15 attempts to Roma’s seven, including a 6-4 edge in shots on target. Yet the defining contribution was Cunha’s three-minute double: the intervention that turned a looming defeat into a memorable Old Trafford comeback.
